Winter Wonderland
by RavensFirefly
Summary: Mistletoe... snowballs... predictability... Add those together, and you get an interesting, winter-themed story. InuSan. One-shot.


**AN:** Here we go with another one-shot from me! Hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha and all characters do not belong to me in any way, shape, or form.

.:-:.

"What's that, Kagome?" Shippou asked, watching as the schoolgirl stood on her toes and hung something above the doorway to the hut they were in.

"This?" Kagome asked, glancing to the kit, "This is called mistletoe." Once it was secured, she stepped back and rested her hands on her hips. Then, with a satisfied nod, she sat down beside Shippou.

"Missile's toe?" The kitsune blinked curiously, his green eyes looking up at her in wonder, "What's a missile and why do you have its toe?"

Kagome laughed, picking up Shippou and hugging him, "Not missile's toe, mistletoe! It's a plant, Shippou-chan."

"Oh." Shippou nodded, looking like he understood. Then, another confused expression came to his face, "What's it used for? Can you eat it?"

"I don't think you can eat it.." She replied, blinking. Then, shrugging, she continued, "It's just something you hang around the house for the holidays, because it looks nice. A lot of people like to hang them in doorways, because they say, if two people walk under a hanging mistletoe, those two people have to kiss each other.. I don't know how that legend got started, but--"

"Ow! What the hell are you _doing_?! Trying to _kill _me?"

"Mou, would you quit complaining already?"

"That's Inuyasha and Sango-chan!" Kagome said, stating the obvious as she looked nervously towards the doorway, "What.. happened?"

A few seconds later, the two warriors entered the hut. Inuyasha had an arm around Sango's shoulders, and the taijiya was helping him walk. It was clear that they had been involved in a battle; since they both had some fresh cuts and bruises.

"What happened?" Kagome asked again, as the two sat down across from herself and Shippou.

"Sango tried to _kill_ me, that's what!" Inuyasha immediately replied, scowling at the woman beside him.

Sango met his look with a frown of her own, "I told you to stay back, idiot!" Then, turning to Kagome, her look softened slightly, "We went to exterminate a youkai at a nearby village. Unfortunately, Inuyasha's timing was off on one of his attacks, and he ended up kicking the youkai at the same time my hiraikotsu hit it."

Kagome winched, hearing that, and looked at Inuyasha, "So, that means..."

"She broke my damn foot!!" The hanyou shouted, glaring at the taijiya again.

"Well, that wouldn't have happened if _somebody_ hadn't tried to be the hero!" She replied, looking to Inuyasha again.

"Hero?!" Inuyasha shouted, throwing his arms up in an exasperated manner, "_What_ is that supposed to mean?"

Sango sighed slightly, "You know what I mean. If you had just stayed back like I told you to, this wouldn't have happened."

He frowned, his eyes narrowing, "Well, if _you_ wouldn't always try to do things on your own, _I_ wouldn't have to prove anything to you, and _we_ wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Prove anything to me? Just what were you trying to prove to me, Inuyasha?!" She asked, beginning to lose her patience... "How is this _my_ fault?"

"You're _always_ trying to do things on your own, Sango!" He replied, having already lost his patience long ago. "You run after that damned youkai alone! You try to take care of it on your own! Do I have to go on?!"

"I'm a taijiya, you idiot hanyou!" She said, hitting her fists on the ground in an agitated manner, "I'm perfectly used to- and capable of- handing one youkai alone!"

"Idiot? Idiot?! You're calling me an idiot?!" The hanyou asked, a low growl beginning to seep into his voice, "Looking out for my friends makes me an idiot?"

She sighed, and closed her eyes for a few seconds as she reached up to rub her temple, "And I've told you many times, that I don't need to be looked after like a child. And if you would have listened to me, then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

He growled again, his hands balling into fists, "You say I need to listen, but you haven't even been listening to me! Sango, I was just-- no, you know what? Just forget it! You're obviously too stubborn to listen to anything I say, so I'm not even going to bother." With that, he stood up, winching and growling slightly when he realized he still wouldn't be able to use his injured foot.

"Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome said, standing up and putting a hand on his shoulder, "You're in no condition to be going outside, especially since it's snowing. You should stay here."

Shippou leapt up onto Kagome's shoulder, and nodded slightly, "Kagome's right, Inuyasha! Besides you're not supposed to be arguing with Sango, you're supposed to kiss her!"

That comment certainly got both Inuyasha and Sango's attention, and they both looked at the kitsune. "What in the _hell _are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow, "There's no way I'm going to kiss her!"

"But Kagome said when two people walked under that 'miss old tow' stuff, they _had_ to kiss." Shippou replied, nodding as though very satisfied with his observation, "You and Sango walked in together, so--"

"Now's not the time, Shippou-chan..." Kagome said, laughing nervously as she suddenly clasped her hand over the kit's mouth.

Inuyasha glanced to Sango, then snorted as he removed Tessaiga, still in it's sheath, from where it hung at his waist. Since he couldn't walk normally, he'd have to use it to help support his weight... "Keh, I'm not listening to that shit. And I am leaving. I'll be back later." And then, he left; walking unsteadily outside.

Kagome reached out, then slowly let her arm drop back to her side. It wouldn't do any good arguing with him... She sighed and sat down again, as she looked hopefully towards the entrance, hoping that he would return.

"He's going to get himself killed!" Sango said quietly, both anger and slight worry being evident in her voice. Sure, they had been arguing, but he was still her friend... "Kirara, stay here with Kagome-chan and Shippou." She said, glancing to the fire-cat for a moment, "There's no reason why we all have to go out."

"Not you too, Sango-chan." Kagome said, looking up to her friend and sounding worried, "It's snowing. What if it turns into a storm and you and Inuyasha are stuck out there?"

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan." Sango replied, giving a small, reassuring smile to the miko, "It shouldn't take too long to catch up to Inuyasha. I don't intend to come back unless he's with me. And, if the worst does happen, we'll be fine. I'll be back in a little bit!" And with that, she ran outside to search out the hanyou.

Kagome only watched as Sango left. She sighed once again, and looked over to Shippou, who was contently digging through her backpack in search of some sweets that she always brought back with her, "I hope they'll be okay.."

.:-:.

Meanwhile, outside, Inuyasha knew the moment Sango began tracking him. He could hear her footsteps crunching on the already accumulating snow as she ran to catch up to him. "Damn it... why are you following me?!" He shouted, though he continued moving forward as he did so.

"Mou! I'm following you because, like Kagome-chan said, you shouldn't be out here! You couldn't even properly defend yourself if you got attacked!" She replied, slowing down slightly as she neared him.

"Like you would care." He spat, sending a glare over his shoulder at her, "So why don't you just go back to Kagome and just leave me alone?!"

She stumbled, and stopped for a moment; her eyes widening slightly in surprise at his first comment, "You don't think I would care?" She shook her head a little, and began walking after him again, "Inuyasha, how could you say that? Why _wouldn't_ I care?"

He growled slightly and closed his eyes for a few seconds, "You've already proved that you don't like when people-- _your friends_-- help you in battle. Wouldn't you be happier if you didn't have to worry about me interfering?"

Sango was silent for a moment. Somehow, getting Inuyasha to return to Kaede's village had slipped her mind... "Inuyasha... if you weren't hurt now, I'd hit you for that." She mumbled, glancing to the hanyou for a moment. "It's not that I don't appreciate your help, Inuyasha, but I like to do things on my own once in a while."

"And that's just it, Sango." He replied, "It's not just 'once in a while'. You're _always_ wanting to do things on your own. You're always out to prove that you don't need us!"

"The only thing I ever try to prove to you, Inuyasha, is that I don't need to be treated like a child." She said, crossing her arms and looking at the ground, "I'm a youkai taijiya, and as such, I don't need you or Houshi-sama always trying to help or save me when I don't need saving."

The hanyou nodded slightly, before grinning and glancing to the woman beside him for a few seconds, "I think you forgot Kagome and Shippou there."

The taijiya blinked, but kept her gaze on the ground, "Eh, well that's because... Shippou is only a child... And Kagome-chan... Kagome-chan is..."

"Usually the one who needs to be rescued?" He asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

She shook her head, "No, no that's not it. She's just.."

He grinned more, obviously enjoying this, "Weak?"

"Stop that!" She said, stopping and catching his arm so he couldn't continue, "Kagome-chan worries about every one of us. So I know she'll worry no matter what."

Inuyasha merely snorted, pulling his arm free of her grasp, "Whatever. Just go back to Kagome and leave me alone."

She frowned slightly, "What makes you think you can order me around?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips as she stared up at the hanyou.

The hanyou rolled his eyes before staring right back at her. Of all the things he was in the mood to do, starting another argument with Sango was _not _one of them... "Look, Sango, either you go back, or I just leave you here. Simply put, I'm going, and you're not!" With that, he turned and continued slowly making his way through the snow. However, when he was only five or so feet away from Sango, something cold, wet, and relatively hard hit him in the back of the head. He stumbled forward, surprised, but managed to catch his balance before he fell on his face. Looking back over his shoulder, he glared at the young woman who was doing her best to look innocent... _too_ innocent, "What in the hell was that?!"

"What was what?" She asked, blinking as she kept up the 'innocent' act. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Inuyasha."

He rubbed the back of his head, then snorted, "Yeah right... Just don't do it again."

"But I didn't do anything to begin with." She replied, walking after him and grinning. She wasn't going to go back now... things were just beginning to get interesting.

"Do you _have_ to keep following me?" He asked, sounding more than a little annoyed, "I don't need to be watched after like an idiot."

"It's like I said earlier, Inuyasha, if you got attacked, you wouldn't be able to properly defend yourself." She said, falling a few steps behind him, "Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed."

He raised an eyebrow when he noticed her slowing her steps, "Oi... what are you doing?"

"Nothing." She replied in an almost sing-song type voice.

Her response, however small, just caused him to grow more suspicious of her, "When you say nothing, it usually means something." He stopped and turned to face her, "So what--"

Pow!

Before he could even finish his question, he was hit right in the face by... a ball of snow? This time, he did fall back, and he looked up at Sango, confused at first, then irritated again, "What was that?!"

Sango tried to stop her laughter, but failed miserably, "Inuyasha, you weren't supposed to turn around."

The hanyou continued to glare up at her, "And you're not supposed to be throwing shit at me! Now tell me, what was that?!"

She shook her head and knelt beside him, brushing some of the snow away from his face and hair, "Oh, come on, Inuyasha. Don't tell me you've never seen a snowball before."

He shooed her hand away from him, frowning slightly, "Snowball?"

The taijiya blinked, sitting back slightly, "You... really are serious. How could anyone not know what a snowball is? Kohaku and I used to have snowball fight's all the time when we were younger..."

"Yeah, well..." He crossed his arms and huffed, "I wasn't really a _welcomed_ member of my mother's village when I was young. I saw the other kids playing in the snow at times, but every time I would go near them, they'd suddenly lose interest in their game and leave."

She mouthed a silent 'oh', and looked down, her expression saddening slightly, "I didn't know... I'm sorry."

Inuyasha shrugged, as though it didn't matter, "Don't be, Sango. I don't want your, or anyone's, pity."

She nodded slowly, remaining silent. She had never really thought much about it... but, she realized, life must've been hard for him growing up. Maybe that was why he was the way he was. She smiled to herself, looking up as the snow continued to fall softly from the sky. She couldn't imagine him being any other way, though. He just wouldn't be Inuyasha if he wasn't gruff, and rude, and... impossibly annoying at times.

"So?" The hanyou asked after a moment of silence, as he looked at Sango, raising his eyebrows.

She looked at him again, blinking slightly, "Huh? So what?"

He rolled his eyes, as though she was supposed to know what he was talking about, "So, are you going to show me what those 'snowball' things are or not?"

"Eh?" She looked at him, cocking her head to the side slightly. Was he serious? Well, he looked serious, and he was waiting... "Well, they're nothing special, Inuyasha. They're just clumps of snow, packed into the shape of a ball. Like this." She said, scooping up a handful of snow and packing it until it was rounded, "See?" She asked, holding it out towards him for a moment, before tossing it into the air and watching it land a few feet away.

He raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat skeptical for a moment. "Like this?" He asked, gathering some snow into his hands and bringing his hands together as he tried to imitate what Sango had just done. When the snow merely fell back to the ground, not packing together, he looked at her once again and blinked.

Sango couldn't help but laugh at his expression, "No, no, no. Inuyasha, you have to pack it together first." She said, repeating her earlier actions of packing some snow, "It won't stay together if you don't do that."

He nodded, watching her hands as she packed the snow together. After a few seconds, he nodded again and gathered another scoop of snow for himself, "So it's like this." He said, mimicking her actions and successfully packing the snow together, "Ha! Did it!" He said triumphantly, holding the snowball up slightly as he laughed.

The taijiya shook her head slightly, smiling. He was laughing. _Actually_ laughing. Not his usual, arrogant laugh. Not the cocky laugh you gave your enemies. But an actual, happy laugh. It was strange... that something so simple could bring so much happiness to him, she thought. She closed her eyes after a moment, tilting her head towards the sky and feeling the snowflakes land gently on her face, _'Three... two... one.'_ At 'one', she fell backwards onto her back, opening her eyes just in time to see a snowball fly above her. As she sat up again, she looked at Inuyasha and grinned, "Now who's throwing things?"

"You were the one who started it by throwing them at me." He said, donning an uncharacteristic, pouting expression, "Besides... how'd you know that was coming?"

She only grinned more, "Easy, because you're predictable." She stated, nodding slightly, "After traveling with you for this long, and seeing how you act in different situations, you're becoming predictable."

He crossed his arms again, the pouting expression giving way to his usual scowl.

"Keh!"

The hanyou blinked, then raised an eyebrow, giving the slayer a curious look, "What?"

She laughed and repeated, "Keh. It was what you were going to say, wasn't it?"

He opened his mouth, then immediately shut it again, hunching down slightly as he looked to the side, "I was not." He muttered.

That only seemed to make her laugh more, "Just admit it, Inuyasha."

"I'm not admitting anything that's not true." He stated firmly, standing up and motioning towards Kaede's village, "So, are we going to go back to Kaede's village, or what?"

Her laughter died down as she looked in the direction he had motioned. With a nod, she stood up as well, brushing some snow off of herself, "That'd probably be a good idea, seeing as how it's freezing out here. Kagome-chan and Houshi-sama are probably worried anyway." Looking to Inuyasha, she fell silent for a moment, then added, "If you want, I can help you back to the village. I'm sure that's not the best way to be using Tessaiga, and it would probably be easier."

He looked at her, remaining quiet for a moment, as though he were thinking something over. Finally, with a shrug, be put Tessaiga back in its place at his waist and gave a short nod, "Since it'll save me from getting pelted with snowballs from you, I guess that'd be better.

She nodded as well, moving closer to him and putting an arm around his waist to help support him, "Then let's go."

The walk back to Kaede's village was pretty much silent; with their footsteps falling on the snow being the only audible thing.

As they neared the hut, however, Inuyasha stopped suddenly, "Wait a minute." He said, turning to Sango, "Sango, do you really think I'm predictable?"

Sango laughed and nodded slightly, "Yes, Inuyasha. I do, and I probably always--"

That was as far as she got, because Inuyasha silenced her by kissing her.

"Didn't see that coming, did you?" He asked, grinning as he pulled back to look at her. Then, without waiting for the startled taijiya to come out of her daze, he continued back towards Kaede's hut, half-dragging Sango since his arm was still around her shoulders. The hanyou wasn't sure _why_ he had done it... The only thing he was sure of at the time, was that he had wanted to kiss her. So he did.

Sango finally shook her head slightly, coming back to her senses. She looked to Inuyasha, frowning slightly, though the blush on her face was unmistakable, "You could warn someone before you do that, you know."

The hanyou grinned, shrugging slightly, "I was trying to be unpredictable."

"Sango! Inuyasha! You're okay!" Shippou cried happily as the pair entered the hut, "We were so worried about you guys!"

"Who's we?" Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced around the hut, "Where's Kagome and Miroku?"

The kitsune pointed outside, "Kagome went home to get some glove things for herself, and Miroku went to wait for her to come back. We were going to look for you as soon as they got back. I was staying here in case you two returned."

Sango nodded slightly, glad that Shippou hadn't noticed her blushing... "Well, I guess we'll just wait for Houshi-sama and Kagome-chan to come back then."

Shippou nodded as well, sitting back down as he noticed Sango and Inuyasha doing the same. Then, blinking, he glanced towards the door for a moment, before grinning mischievously and looking at them again, "Say, that's the _second _time you two have walked under that stuff Kagome hung up. Aren't you going to kiss?"

The taijiya blinked and looked at Inuyasha curiously. Why did Kagome have to bring that mistletoe stuff anyway?

Inuyasha got a very surprised look on his face when he saw Sango looking at him. He was quick to shake off the surprise however, and he crossed his arms, "Keh! I already told you, I'm not listening to that mistletoe sh--"

Unfortunately, he didn't get to finish his statement, because Sango gave a sudden, firm tug on his rosary, and pressed her lips to his.

"--It..." Inuyasha finished, blinking as he stared at Sango in surprise.

"You're not the only one who can be unpredictable, Inuyasha." She said, with a grin to match the one he had given her only a few moments earlier.

Inuyasha blinked again, then slowly grinned. So, she was turning this into a game? Well, this would be one _very_ interesting day, if he had anything to say about it. Only... as he glanced to Shippou, he realized that maybe they should make sure Shippou wasn't around. The poor kitsune's face was as red as the cherry lollipop he was holding. And that was from just one, small kiss.

"We'll see who's predictable." The hanyou said, still grinning as he looked to Sango again.

Yes, one interesting day indeed.

.:-:.

End

**AN:** One-shot's are fun to write n.n; At least, I think so. Anyways, a nice winter-ish themed story. Hope you enjoyed it!

And... I just realized that I didn't mention Miroku in the first part... um... let's just assume that he was out being, well, Miroku. Okay? Okay.


End file.
